The stat that sets up the lesson
Carlos Alcaraz did not just win the 2025 US Open. He turned holding serve into a near certainty, finishing the fortnight with 98 holds in 101 service games. As the ATP finals report noted, he also dropped only nine points behind first serve in the championship match against Jannik Sinner, turning the serve into a platform for total control. If you coach juniors or guide a hungry high schooler, this is your blueprint. The purpose of this piece is to convert that performance into clear targets, repeatable patterns, and simple, durable routines you can train this week. See the match context in the ATP report on how Alcaraz won 98 of 101 service games.
Before the final, tournament coverage highlighted that Alcaraz had been broken only twice across six matches and had faced just nine break points, a picture of simplified service games that starved opponents of looks. Read the event summary that he had been broken only twice through six matches.
For a deeper dive into his first-strike patterns at Flushing Meadows, check our internal breakdown of Alcaraz’s serve plus one patterns for pressure holds.
What 98 of 101 really means under pressure
A hold rate like that does not happen because of raw power alone. It is the outcome of three connected decisions:
- Pick a smart first-serve target for the score and returner.
- Know the plus-one ball you want and move for it early.
- Use a between-point routine that makes the next serve look and feel the same, even when the scoreboard is loud.
The lesson is not mythical. It is practical and repeatable.
Target maps you can actually hit
Most players hear “hit your spots” and nod. Then they aim at lines, miss by inches, and gift free second serves. Pros aim at corridors, not pins. Create a simple three-lane map in each box: T, body, and wide. Think of them like three parking spaces. Your job is to park the ball in the right space for the score and the opponent, not to kiss the curb.
Here is a serve map that mirrors what many top pros do and that fits what Alcaraz used so well in New York. Treat these as starting benchmarks you will adjust to your strengths.
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Deuce court
- 55 percent wide to stretch the backhand and uncover forehand space for the plus-one.
- 30 percent T to surprise a returner leaning wide and to set up a backhand-to-backhand rally if needed.
- 15 percent body to jam a fast backhand swing or to neutralize a big forehand grip.
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Ad court
- 50 percent T to attack the returner’s backhand contact point and win a short forehand.
- 30 percent body to take time away on big points.
- 20 percent wide to draw a run and open inside-in forehand.
If those numbers feel new, remember that a serve pattern is a portfolio. You are not guessing. You are investing across three spaces so that your opponent cannot time the opening bell.
Drill 1: Three-box Ladder
- Place three cones along the T, three along the body channel, and three along the wide lane in each box.
- Goal 1: Hit 3 of 5 serves into the correct lane before moving to the next lane.
- Goal 2: When you clear all three lanes in one court, add the plus-one shadow swing you plan to use off that target.
- Scoring: Two points for a lane cleared first try, one point if you need a retry. Beat your own score next session.
Drill 2: 10-10-10 Pressure Set
- Server calls out the lane before the toss: T, body, or wide.
- Hit 10 balls to that lane in the deuce court, then 10 in the ad court.
- Finish with 10 mixed calls that a partner shouts as you bounce the ball. Record percentage. Anything above 70 percent in-lane is match-ready at high school level.
Coaching cues
- Aim three feet inside the line. That keeps your corridor big. Pros win with margin, not paint.
- For slice wide on deuce, feel the contact brush slightly across the back of the ball at 2 o’clock. For a flat T ball, think 12 o’clock and extend through the target window.
The plus-one forehand, explained simply
The plus-one is the first groundstroke after the serve. Alcaraz turned that ball into a lever. When the serve pulled Sinner wide, he took one aggressive step forward and one step to the ball side so that the forehand started on time. The mechanics are not complex: serve to move the returner, then strike your heavy forehand to the bigger side. You do not need Alcaraz’s racquet speed to make it work. You need a consistent first forehand plan.
Common plus-one plans that scale to juniors:
- Deuce wide, forehand inside-out to the ad corner, then recover to the center mark plus two small steps to the ad side.
- Ad T, forehand to the deuce corner, then look to step inside the baseline on ball three.
- Ad body, forehand into the returner’s body to draw a short ball, then change direction with forehand up the line.
Drill 3: Serve plus one, two, recover
- Feed yourself or have a partner feed a neutral return into the ad or deuce half after each serve.
- Rule: The first groundstroke must be a forehand to your pre-called big target. The second must either go back behind the runner or to open court. Call it out before the serve to build intention.
- Scoring: First ball plus-one that lands deep beyond the service line scores 1. If you also hit a directional change on the second ball and keep it in, add 1 bonus point. Play to 15.
Drill 4: Two-cone runway for footwork
- Place a cone one step in front of the center mark and one step to the side where your forehand takeoff will begin.
- After the serve, hit a split step as the returner contacts. Land with the outside foot near cone one, then push to cone two and take your forehand with your chest facing the sideline.
- This teaches the first two steps, which decide whether your plus-one is on your strings or on your heels.
For more serve-first options you can scale, see our Alcaraz serve blueprint and return plan.
Why body serves are a weapon when the score bites
On 30-all, 40-30, and break point down, many juniors default to their prettiest wide serve. Returners know it. A good body serve wins not because it is flashy, but because it steals time. The contact jams the racquet at the hip. The return floats or shanks. Alcaraz used this option in New York to mute elite returners and to keep his second shot predictable.
Here is how to build it:
- Toss cue: Keep the toss inside the left shoulder for right-handers and body-line neutral for left-handers. If the toss drifts, the returner reads you early.
- Contact cue: Think of cutting the ball into the returner’s hip pocket, not their chest. Hip height makes the swing awkward.
- Depth cue: Aim middle third of the service box with enough height to clear the net by three feet. Height buys time.
Drill 5: Jam-ball penalties
- Server announces body serve before toss.
- If the returner takes a full swing and still contacts below hip height, the server wins 2 points. If the returner blocks cleanly, only 1.
- This makes you search for the exact spot that causes discomfort, not just the idea of a body serve.
Drill 6: Big-point rehearsal
- Play a tiebreak where the server must hit a body serve on every odd point.
- Keep a notebook of outcomes: return depth, your plus-one contact point, and where the third ball ends up. Adjust your toss and contact until 60 percent of these points finish with you inside the baseline by shot three.
The between-point routine that keeps the serve the same
Match flow is a human problem, not a technical one. When the stadium gets hot, routines make the next serve feel familiar. Alcaraz’s calm this September was not an accident. He stayed on one script, and so should you.
Try this 15-second routine:
- Turn back to the fence. Inhale through the nose for four counts, exhale for six.
- Wipe the strings and bounce once while you visualize the lane and the first forehand. Say it out loud softly: “Deuce wide, inside-out.”
- Step up with the same rhythm every time. Two bounces. Toss. Go.
It will feel robotic at first. That is the point. When you are down break point, you want a robot making the decision, not your fear. For more tools, explore how to build a between-point routine that wins tiebreaks.
Scoring games that make pressure real
Tennis brains learn best with meaningful points. Here are three formats that tighten your habits around the serve and plus-one.
- 30-All Start: Every game begins at 30-all. Server has to win two of the next three points. This replicates the money points where the body serve shines.
- Break-Point Ladder: Returner always starts with a break point. If the server saves it, the server starts the next point with a free first serve. If not, move down a ladder of easier targets to rebuild confidence.
- Two-Ball Hold: Server must hold to 4 without missing more than two first serves in a row. Miss three straight and the game goes to the returner.
What to measure and how to improve it
Your goal is not to serve like a world number one. Your goal is to hold like a future champion in your age group or on your team. That starts with measurement.
- First-serve in-lane percentage by box and score. Deuce wide at 30-all is a different skill than deuce wide at 40-love.
- Plus-one forehand depth. Count how many land past the service line.
- Body-serve success rate on odd points in a tiebreak or when down break point.
Write these into a simple spreadsheet or track them inside your training app. If you log your lane percentages and plus-one depth, you can turn match data into smarter off-court training that targets mobility, shoulder strength, and breathwork.
A simple week to copy
Here is a one-week template that folds all of this into a high school schedule or a college pre-season block. Total court time per day is about 60 to 75 minutes.
- Monday: Target maps plus Drill 1 and Drill 2. Finish with 30-All Start games for 15 minutes.
- Tuesday: Serve plus-one focus with Drill 3 and Drill 4. Finish with Two-Ball Hold to 4. Record plus-one depth.
- Wednesday: Body-serve day. Run Drill 5 and Drill 6. Finish with a tiebreak that requires a called body serve on the first and third service points.
- Thursday: Active recovery and video check. Ten minutes of shadow serves in your living room. Label each toss with the lane you imagine. Off the court, add shoulder external rotation work, thoracic mobility drills, and nasal-breathing intervals.
- Friday: Mixed script. Play a standard set where every service game starts at 30-all. Between points, enforce the metronome routine.
- Saturday: Match play. Ask a practice partner to chart only four numbers: first-serve percentage by lane, plus-one forehand depth, body-serve success on odd points, and number of holds.
- Sunday: Review and adjust. If deuce wide is below 60 percent, move 5 percent of next week’s attempts to the T until confidence returns.
Common mistakes and quick fixes
- Aiming at corners: Corridors beat corners. Use cones three feet inside the sideline and service line.
- Toss drifting left or right: Film your toss from the front. Draw a vertical line from forehead to sternum. Your toss should not cross that line unless you intentionally want slice.
- Overhitting the plus-one: If the return is neutral, choose the bigger crosscourt window first. Change direction only on a short ball or when you are balanced.
- Forgetting the routine at 4-all: Tie your routine to one physical cue, like string wiping or a breath count. That cue triggers the rest when the mind gets noisy.
Bringing it back to New York
What made Alcaraz’s New York run special was not a mystery trick. It was a reliable menu. On serve he parked balls into lanes, not lines. On the plus-one he moved early for a forehand he already saw in his head. Between points he stayed on one script. The result was 98 holds in 101 service games and a trophy. If your current hold rate in match play is 60 percent, the path to 70 is the same path he took, scaled to your world: better lanes, a declared plus-one, and a routine that never blinks. For complementary patterns you can copy, revisit the serve plus one patterns for pressure holds.
Your next step
Print the three-lane maps and tape them to your string bag. Run Drills 1 through 4 twice this week and log the numbers. In your next tiebreak, require a body serve on odd points and enforce the metronome routine. Share the plan with a coach or a parent, and assign one job: chart plus-one depth. Layer in off-court work so that your shoulder and thoracic spine make these patterns feel easy. Start small, stay consistent, and you will feel what New York felt like, scaled to your court.